Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Audi of America on Friday reported a 4.5% decline in July U.S. sales to 6,804 cars and trucks from 7,127 units in July 2007.

The decline was led by the Q7 sport utility vehicle model which saw its sales slump 51.8% and the sales of theTT model which also declined by 34.5%, demonstrating a continued shift away from bigger, less fuel-efficient vehicles.

Toyota’s total automotive sales dropped 11.9% in July as Americans bought fewer vehicles and $4 a gallon gas caused an even more rapid sales decline for SUV’s and pickups.

For the month Toyota said it sold 197,424 Toyota and Lexus vehicles, a decline of 26,634 compared with last July. Sales for almost every Toyota SUV and pickup declined during the month, but Toyota’s overall sales were helped by a continuation of strong demand for its two highest selling cars, Camry and Corolla.

Sales of Toyota’s largest pickup, the Tundra, dropped 42.1% in July to 13,413 while sales of the Toyota Camry increased 1.5% to 42,131 and sales of the Toyota Corolla increased 15.9% to 42,131.

Toyota has also struggled this year to produce enough small cars and Prius hybrids to keep up with customer demand. Sales of the Prius, Toyota’s best selling hybrid, declined 8% in July to 14,785.

In July, Toyota announced plans to build the Prius in the United States for the first time at its new plant in Blue Springs, Miss. where it originally planned to build the Toyota Highlander SUV.

“Having the industry’s most fuel-efficient lineup is of value to us so long as we have the right product mix in our showrooms,” Toyota Motor Sales President Jim Lentz said in a statement on Friday. “That’s why we’re accelerating production of 4-cylinder models and quickly responding to market conditions with repurposed U.S. plants and plans for a U.S.-built Prius.”